Boston Celtics Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Brown, Joseph

December 10th, 2015 at 7:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Sixers coach Brett Brown has already developed a solid relationship with new team executive Jerry Colangelo, who was officially hired on Monday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. When asked how often he communicates with Colangelo, Brown responded, “All the time. I think for me to be able to call upon somebody like him and say, what do you think of that, is a priceless sounding board for me. I love it. I respect his history. When answers come out you immediately respect the history of which that opinion was formed. It’s amazing.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony is frustrated by the team’s struggles this season and isn’t hiding his displeasure, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com notes. “Losing is frustrating,” Anthony said. “I don’t want this to be an ongoing situation or an ongoing feeling where we have to come into the locker room and explain why we’re losing basketball games.” Anthony is also upset with New York’s pace of play, and wants the team to increase its tempo, a team source tells Begley. “He [Anthony] felt like they were stuck in the half court too much,” the source told the ESPN scribe.
The Raptors are hoping to imitate the long-term success of the Spurs as an organization, which is one reason why Toronto signed Cory Joseph this past offseason, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. “You can’t go through a program like that, I don’t care what program you are with in college or the pros, if you’re from a successful program some of those habits come away with you,” said coach Dwane Casey of Joseph. “That’s why bringing a guy in like that from a winning program, that’s won a championship, knows what it takes to win. Those qualities have rubbed off on him.“
The Celtics have once again assigned power forward Jordan Mickey to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Mickey’s sixth trek to Maine this season, as our tracker shows.

Atlantic Notes: Colangelo, Okafor, Lee, Ross

December 10th, 2015 at 10:01am CST by Chuck Myron

The Sixers decided to hire Jerry Colangelo because they felt GM Sam Hinkie mishandled negative publicity surrounding Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor in recent months, Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher says in a video. Owners with minority stakes in the Sixers pressured primary owner Josh Harris to make the move, Bucher adds. It’s inaccurate to say that the hiring came about in part because of pressure from owners who complained to the league about the Sixers’ rebuilding and its negative financial ripple effects, league sources told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, who writes at the bottom of a larger piece. Still, commissioner Adam Silver was indeed involved in the move, Pompey adds. See more from the Atlantic Division:

The NBA continues to investigate the recent incidents involving Okafor and it hasn’t decided whether it will mete out punishment on top of the two-game suspension the Sixers issued last week, league officials told TMZ Sports. Colangelo has a strong relationship with agent Bill Duffy, who represents Okafor, as Bucher points out in his video. “Based on what we currently know, we support the 76ers’ approach in this matter,” an NBA spokesperson said to TMZ Sports. “The league office is continuing to investigate the events of that night.”
David Lee doesn’t regret the trade that brought him to the Celtics and ended his time with the Warriors, even as Golden State has embarked on a 23-0 start, as Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group relays. Lee’s representatives reportedly cooperated with the Warriors as they sought a new home for him this summer. “This is a business, and because of the salary cap and things like that, it was time for me to move on, and that’s what I did,” Lee said. “It couldn’t have ended any better.”
Terrence Ross is much the same player he was a few weeks after the Rudy Gay trade two years ago, and that’s perhaps the glaring issue for the swingman who signed a three-year, $31MM extension with the Raptors last month, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. His game grew more in the immediate wake of the trade than it has since, and inconsistency has plagued him, Lewenberg asserts.

And-Ones: Matthews, Colangelo, D-League

December 9th, 2015 at 10:27pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Mavericks swingman Wesley Matthews is still working his way back from the Achilles tear he suffered last season while a member of the Blazers, but the franchise has confidence that he’ll be a better player than ever once he finds his rhythm, Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post writes. “He’s had a rough go here, and the important thing is we all kept encouraging him,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “We have a great deal of belief in him. What he’s doing is extremely difficult, coming back from that injury in this timetable. It’s hard, you know? Hard things are hard. It’s just the truth. And along the way, there’s going to be some nights like this, and there’s going to be some nights like the other night, and he just has to keep staying the course and seeing the light. Because, at the end of this process, he’s going to be a better player than he was when he went down last March. I’m not only confident of it, I’m certain of it.”

Here’s more from around the league:

Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy noted that injured guards Brandon Jennings and Jodie Meeks may benefit from a D-League assignment prior to rejoining the team, David Mayo of MLive writes. “I think it helps with the conditioning because the only way to get in basketball shape is to play basketball,” Van Gundy told Mayo. “We play so many games that practice time is limited, and practice time isn’t that long. Your chance to go get 35 minutes a game, and really get your conditioning back, would be to do something like that. But again, our guys are a little different because they’re veteran guys. It would have to be something they’re willing to do and we haven’t broached that subject yet.“
The Celtics have recalled power forward Jordan Mickey from their D-League affiliate in Maine, the team announced. This was Mickey’s fifth stint with the Red Claws this season.
Jim Boeheim, who is a member of Team USA’s coaching staff as well as head coach at Syracuse University, doesn’t believe that Jerry Colangelo would have accepted his new position with the Sixers unless he was going to have total control over the front office, Jake Fischer of SI Now tweets.
There are several NBA coaches whose jobs are currently in jeopardy, including Lionel Hollins (Nets), George Karl (Kings), Dave Joerger (Grizzlies), and Alvin Gentry (Pelicans), notes Fran Blinebury of NBA.com in his rundown of head men who he opines are on the hot seat.

Atlantic Notes: Hollins, Hinkie, Johnson

December 9th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Nets GM Billy King denied a report that he’s seeking a replacement for coach Lionel Hollins, though he appeared hesitant to make any long-term promises about the coach, observes Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

“It’s funny because I think the report said it was management — and I’m management. So there was no truth to that,’’ King said to Sarah Kustok of the YES Network, as Lewis transcribes. “I’ve talked to ownership, and — right now — Lionel is our coach and we’re working to try to turn this around.”

King also told Kustok that the Nets would explore making roster moves but that the team would give the current roster a chance “until we can find another option,” notes Andy Vasquez of The Record. See more on the Nets amid the latest from the Atlantic Division:

Brook Lopez, who re-signed with the Nets on a three-year max deal this past summer, called for stability, as Lewis relays in his piece. “We’re working on something here and we’ve had turnover year in and year out since I’ve been here. It’s tough to find continuity if you keep changing personnel,’’ Lopez said. “We have to find something that’s working for us and continue to work with the pieces we have and improve.’’
Sam Hinkie is still Sixers GM, but the addition of Jerry Colangelo to the front office depletes his power to the point that it’s as if he’s not there anymore, a source told Tom Moore of Calkins Media. “It’s clear [Hinkie] has, for all intents and purposes, been fired,” the source said, adding that he believes Colangelo’s son Bryan Colangelo, who was once GM of the Suns and Raptors, will be involved. League executives who spoke with Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer cast doubt on the idea that Hinkie will stay with the organization much longer.
Amir Johnson‘s positive personality, as well as his defensive versatility, are what make the Celtics offseason signee especially valuable, coach Brad Stevens said, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald relays.

Atlantic Notes: Hinkie, Perkins, Young

December 8th, 2015 at 8:16pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The reports that the league office and other team owners played a role in the Sixers‘ hiring of Jerry Colangelo as chairman of basketball operations are troubling and could set a bad precedent for the future, Tom Ziller of SBNation opines. The SBNation scribe also points out that many of the same owners complaining about Philadelphia’s tanking didn’t vote for lottery reform when given the opportunity, and Ziller notes that it’s likely due to those franchises hedging their bets in case they need to rebuild in that manner in the future.

Here’s more from the Atlantic:

Outside of the Celtics trading him to the Thunder back in 2011, center Kendrick Perkins believes Danny Ainge, Boston’s president of basketball operations, has done an excellent job in rebuilding the franchise, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald writes. “[They’ve done] a great job,” said Perkins. “I can’t recall them really going through a real bad rebuilding process. It’s been steady. Like right now, when they come in, guys are really preparing for them like one of the good teams in the league. They’ve got a nice team. They’ve been playing really well. You can tell they play together like it’s a family.”
It’s been difficult for coach Brad Stevens to find enough playing time to go around on a deep Boston squad, but the coach believes it’s just part of the Celtics‘ growing process, Bulpett notes in the same piece. “How many guys are on our team, 15?” Stevens told Bulpett. “I’ve talked to all 15 about it. It’s all part of the experience, not only of a normal team but just of our depth, especially in the frontcourt. So you just try to keep those conversations alive. The one thing that I think that these guys know, and I hope they would say this, is that my door is always open to talk.”
Conventional wisdom will credit Sixers GM Sam Hinkie only partially, if that, should the Sixers’ rebuilding plan bear fruit now that Colangelo is on board, but Hinkie would get all the blame if the plan fails, posits Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
Nets combo forward Thaddeus Young has seen how quickly other players’ NBA careers have ended, and he uses that as his motivation to keep working to improve, Jessica Camerato of Basketball Insiders writes. “You see guys come and go each and every year,” Young told Camerato. “I saw how quickly it could become a situation where you don’t know if you’re going to be in the NBA, D-League or overseas. It’s definitely an eye-opening experience. You do see a lot of guys on other teams and you say, ‘Man he was good. Seeing those type of guys being able to play this game and then they’re not in the league anymore, it’s crazy.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Eastern Notes: Fournier, Green, Young

December 8th, 2015 at 2:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

Evan Fournier‘s camp sought significantly more than $10MM a year in extension talks this fall, sources told Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. The Bouna Ndiaye client turned down a four-year, $32MM offer from Orlando, as Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reported earlier. The Magic might wish they’d upped the number in their proposal, Lowe opines, believing that the team’s decision to bench former No. 2 overall pick Victor Oladipo is, at its simplest, because Fournier is a better player and better option for the Magic as a starting two guard than Oladipo is. See more from the Eastern Conference:

Gerald Green drew criticism for his defense from Suns coach Jeff Hornacek last season, but the Heat signed him in large measure because they saw potential in him for that end of the floor, and the 29-year-old has embraced that part of the game, as Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post details. He wants to parlay his performance on a one-year, minimum-salary deal into a long-term contract with the Heat, Lieser writes. “I’m trying to find a home, and can’t Miami be my home?” he said. “That’s where my intentions are. So what is a Miami Heat requirement? To D-up. I know if I want to be here the rest of my career, [forget] offense. I gotta D up. That’s where my mind is at.”
Frequent D-League assignee James Young had perhaps his best NBA game Monday against New Orleans, an auspicious sign for the development of last year’s 17th overall pick, and it wouldn’t have happened if not for Celtics coach Brad Stevens, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. It was Stevens who decided to cut short Young’s latest D-League assignment Friday, believing he might need him for depth purposes with R.J. Hunter out.
The Sixers have assigned Carl Landry and Christian Wood to the D-League, as Brian Seltzer of Sixers.com relays via Twitter. It’s a rehab assignment for Landry as he continues to make his way back from a right wrist injury, Seltzer notes, and he’s not expected to play any games for the Delaware 87ers, the Sixers affiliate, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

Atlantic Notes: Rondo, Lopez, Joseph, Williams

December 7th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The breakfast meeting between Rajon Rondo and Kobe Bryant that took place a year ago hastened the trade that took Rondo out of Boston, the point guard believes, according to Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge didn’t indicate that was the case, Rondo concedes, and he wound up signing in the summer with the Kings instead of the Lakers, but Rondo still connects the breakfast and the trade, which happened two weeks apart, Forsberg notes.

“No, Danny never said anything, but I’m pretty sure that, after that, Danny thought he’d lose me for nothing at the end of the year so he made a decision and I understand that,” Rondo said.

People in the Celtics organization, including coach Brad Stevens, are glad to see Rondo playing well again, and Avery Bradley and Jared Sullinger both say their former teammate is like a brother to them, as Forsberg details. Rondo is reportedly back in play for a max deal in the summer ahead. See more from the Atlantic Division:

One reason why Kristaps Porzingis is rebounding so well, to the tune of 12.0 per 36 minutes, is the presence of Knicks offseason signee Robin Lopez, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. “When you take a look at Robin in Portland, LaMarcus Aldridge’s rebounding numbers next to Robin were really good,” Knicks coach Derek Fisher said. “Robin does a really good job impacting his guy, boxing out and holding guys away from the basket so other players can get rebounds.’’
Cory Joseph‘s scoring has been a positive revelation for the Raptors, observes Doug Smith of the Toronto Star, who looks at the highlights and trouble spots for the team so far. The inability of fellow free agent acquisition Bismack Biyombo to provide a reasonable facsimile for what the injured Jonas Valanciunas can do on offense helps lead to the lack of ball movement that has plagued Toronto, Smith adds.
Deron Williams‘ shooting percentage and scoring are up, and Lionel Hollins, his former coach, attributes that to his escape from the spotlight of the New York metropolitan area, notes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Williams gave up nearly $16MM in salary as part of a buyout of the final two years of his contract with the Nets before signing a two-year, $11MM deal with the Mavs this past offseason. “He’s played well. I said he’d play well, he’d be more comfortable out of New York,’’ Hollins said. “I said that he’d go down and play in a little different system, but mainly be out of New York and be away from the New York spotlight and expectations that were really unnatural. So I expected him to play better.’’

Atlantic Notes: Young, Okafor, Marshall, Knicks

December 6th, 2015 at 12:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics‘ James Young had the shortest D-League assignment of his career Friday, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. After sending him to their Maine affiliate, the Celtics decided they needed Young as insurance because of a quad injury to Avery Bradley. So Young was recalled to the NBA before he got on the plane. “I got to the airport, I got to the gate and everything, I got a phone call saying I was going to stay here,” Young said. “I was like, ‘alright.’ I had to tell people, I need my bags back. So they took it to baggage claim and I went down.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The off-court conduct of Sixers rookie Jahlil Okafor is a result of GM Sam Hinkie failing to have veteran mentors on the roster, charges Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Okafor served a two-game suspension this week that was imposed after two alleged altercations in Boston on November 25th, among other reported transgressions. Washburn criticizes Hinkie and the organization for not having someone in place to help Okafor learn about life in the NBA.
The Sixers hope to have Kendall Marshall make his season debut in Thursday’s game against the Nets, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Marshall, recovering from a torn ACL, was recalled from the D-League on Friday, along with fellow injured point guard Tony Wroten. Wroten hopes to play 15 or 16 minutes against the Spurs Monday, Pompey also tweets.
The Knicks are crediting changes to their training program and staff for improved health through the first month of this season, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Since Arron Afflalo returned from a strained hamstring on November 11th, the team has had all 14 players ready for nearly every game. “That started last season — re-evaluating what we were doing, how we were doing it,” said coach Derek Fisher. “How the practices should be structured, how long they should be, offseason progress. [It was] all designed to create this environment. Everybody can be here for us and ready to play and it gives us the most chance to win.”

And-Ones: Jones, All-Stars, Draft Picks, Inglis

December 5th, 2015 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves have assigned rookie point guard Tyus Jones to the D-League, the team tweeted tonight. The former Duke star was drafted 24th overall by the Cavaliers in June and then shipped to Minnesota in a draft-night trade. He has played just 14 minutes in two games with the Wolves, with 1 point, 1 rebound and 1 assist. Minnesota officials had previously announced their intention to have Jones spend part of the year in the D-League to get more playing time. Jones will be sent to the Idaho Stampede, the affiliate of the Jazz. Wolves GM Milt Newton will address the situation Sunday, according to a tweet from the team.

There’s more from around the basketball world:

Pistons center Andre Drummond heads a list of most likely first-time all stars compiled by Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders. With Drummond averaging more than 18 points per game and leading the league in rebounds, Brigham considers the fourth-year center a shoo-in for the February 14th contest in Toronto. Potentially joining him from the Eastern Conference are Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis, the Hornets‘ Kemba Walker, the Celtics‘ Isaiah Thomas and the Heat’s Hassan Whiteside. Brigham’s five picks for the Western squad are the Warriors‘ Draymond Green, the Spurs‘ Kawhi Leonard, the Suns‘ Eric Bledsoe and/or Brandon Knight and the Jazz’s Derrick Favors.
LSU’s Ben Simmons looks like the clear No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, Brigham writes in a separate story analyzing the top six contenders for that honor. Brigham cites the Australia freshman’s versatility on offense, where he possesses the skills of a point guard but the 6’10” frame of a power forward. Also on Brigham’s list are Kentucky freshman Skal Labissiere, California freshman Jaylen Brown, Duke freshman Brandon Ingram, Providence junior Kris Dunn and Utah sophomore Jakob Poeltl.
The Bucks recalled Damien Inglis from the Canton Charge of the D-League, tweets Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. He was sent to Canton on November 22nd.
The Raptors recalled Bruno Caboclo and Delon Wright from Raptors 905, the team tweeted today. Neither was active for today’s game with the Warriors.

Atlantic Notes: Johnson, Porzingis, D-League

December 4th, 2015 at 8:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

A five person ESPN.com panel was asked to speculate on where Nets small forward Joe Johnson would play in 2016/17, and some members posited that the Warriors, Kings or Grizzlies could be possibilities in 2016/17, while others noted that Johnson is a prime candidate to reach a buyout arrangement with Brooklyn this season if the team were unable to trade him before the February deadline. While the panel members may not have agreed upon the specific franchise Johnson would end up with, the consensus opinion was that he most certainly would not return to Brooklyn next season.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

With the Nets franchise in disarray, the Knicks, thanks to the growing popularity of rookie Kristaps Porzingis, have a secure foothold as the No. 1 team in New York, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes. Porzingis has adapted remarkably well to living and playing in the U.S., and the big man credits his brother Janis for helping prepare him, Bondy adds. “[Janis] was always thinking 10 steps ahead. When I was younger I took extra English classes just to make sure I have good English if I had the chance to play professionally. Things like that,” Porzingis said. “When I was young I was doing a lot of extra stuff for my body. Now that makes sense, all the stuff I did. At that time, I was like, ‘Why do you make me do all this stuff?’ But that just showed me how much they were preparing me for what’s coming.”
The Raptors have assigned Bruno Caboclo and Delon Wright to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This is Caboclo’s second trip of the season to the Raptors 905 and Wright’s third.
Celtics swingman James Young was assigned to and recalled from the Maine Red Claws, Boston’s D-League affiliate, the team announced (Twitter links). This was the sixth trek to Maine of the 2015/16 season for Young.